Liquid-heater.



E. CAHOW.

LIQUID HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, I917.

Patented Dec 17,1918

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

Z I @9 I E. CAHOW.

LIQUID HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. lair.

ERVIN CAHOW, OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

LIQUID-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 159i 8.

Application filed May 2. 1917. Serial No. 165.824.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Euvm CAHOW, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsborough and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Liquid-Heater, of which the following is a specification.

In the construction of water heaters for domestic use it is customary to locate the gas burner at the bottom of the chamber in which the helical water pipe is placed. The hot portion of the flame is therefore in contact with but a short length of pipe, and as the gas cools very quickly after leaving the burner the greater portion of the coil is of comparatively little value, thus resulting in a large loss of heat.

To the end of overcoming the objection stated and obtaining a greater ei'iicieiicy than has been possible heretofore, the present invention consists in a coil so constructed as to form a longitudinal channel into which the burning gases are delivered from a burner that. extends longitudinally of the coil at a substantiall equal distance therefrom throughout. he channel shown in one instance is formed by three pipes arranged close together with the middle pipe a little higher than the others; in another embodiment a single pipe has its lower surface reentrant. It is evident that the channel may be formed in various ways. The invention further consists in a helical water coil and a helical burner of the same pitch arranged directly below the Water coil for substantially the entire length thereof, whereby a flame may be directed upwardly against the lower surface of the coil. The invention also comprises a burner of the character described having means for conducting gas thereto at a plurality of points whereby a substantially uniform flame is secured.

Another feature (which, however, may be omitted) of the inventionresides in means for moving the burner toward or from the coil whereby a measure of adjustment is allowed to insure the application of the hottest ortion of the flame substantially direct y to the surface of the coil. Again, the invention consists in means whereby the amount of gas and air admitted to the burner is varied in proportion to the distance of the latter from the coil. The invention further consists in the details of construction shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 a vertical section showin a preferred embodiment, of the inventioii Fig. is a horizontal sect-ion taken above the coil. Fig. i is an enlarged vertical sectlon showing the relation of the burner to the (3011 Fig. 5 is a plan view of the burner. Fig. 6 1s a vertical section throu h the coil at a point close to the header. *ig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 7 is a yiew similar to Fig. 7, showing a modiiication. Fig 8 is an elevation of the gas 'alve and associated elements, the valve being open. Fig. 9 is a view taken from the left in Fig. 8, parts being broken away. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the valve and easing. Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. '9. Fig. 12 is an elevation showing a modified form of coil. Fig 13 IS a vertical section correspondin thereto.

The details of the casing may e varied within wide limits. As shown, it comprises a cylindrical body formed of double walls 1, 2 and an asbestos filling 3, together with the bottom at and the top 5 from the latter of which a chimney 6 projects upwardly, Baflie plates 8 are preferably positioned in the chimney. An ornamental cover 9 sweeps down' from the top of the chimney to the top of the body; and a door 10 allows access to the burner chamber. The body is perforated at a point near the bottom and the top is perforated near one side to allow the passage of the externally threaded nipples 12 that are held in position by nuts 13 and have their inner ends screwed into the elbows 14, or the nipples and elbows may be made integral. The opposite ends of the elbows are in turn screwed into the externally threaded cup shaped fittings 15 which are received in the similar internally threaded fittings 16. These fittings together form headers into which the ends of the water pipes 18 are preferably brazed. The headers shown in Fig. 7 are formed of stampings cup-shaped (preferably copper) 15 and 15 pressed and brazed together. As indicated in Fig. 6, the ends of the pipes may be located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle to give maximum space for the brazing operation, but the outer pipes are bent toward the middle pipe at a little distance from the headers until the three lie in about the position indicated in Fig. 4.

Arrangedlongitudinally of and centrally below the coil for substantially the whole length of the latter on a helix line of substantially the same pitch is a burner tube 19 having at intervals fine orifices 20 through burner pipe through a curved pipe section 21 (which, as shown, is simply a bent end of the burner pipe). Gas is also preferably while not necessarily suppliedto an int ermediate portion of the burner plpe by a pipe 23 which has an additional function of brac-- ing the burner.

The section 21 is received in and preferably brazed to the opening in the side of the tubular burner seat 26 (Fig. 9) that fits.- closely to and is slidab-le vertically on the reduced upper end 28 of the tubular valve casing 29, whereas the pipe 23 preferably enters said burner seat through an opening in the top as best shown in Fig. 9. Extending crosswise of the casing is a tapering valve 30 of well known form, which is held to its seat by the threads 31, nut'32 and washer 33. A handle 34 secured on the squared stem 35 by means of the nut 36 and washer 38 constitutes means for turning the valve. A cam 39 which is mounted on a round portion 39 and held in any desired angular relation in respect thereto by a set screw 39 is arranged -to enga e a projection 40 on the burner seat. The upper end of the valve casing has slots 42 in longitudinal alinement with slots 43 in the burner seat, the slots 43- preferably being longer than the slots 42 and extending down below the latter when the burner seat is in its lowermost position, that is, when it rests on the shoulder 46, as shown in Fig. 9. A pin 48 projects fromthe reduced end of the valve casing and is received in a longitudinal slot 49 cut in the burner seat whereby the latter is prevented from turning about its own axis and aproper. positioning of the burner below the coil is insured. A regulating collar 50 may be slid longitudinally of the burner seat to cut ofi? more or less of the slots 43 and thus control the admission of air. The Valve casing is threaded at its lower end to receive nuts 51 for holding it in position on the bottom. Air is admitted freely to the coil through holes 52 in the bottom.

In use, the valve casing being connected to any suitable source of gas and the coil being connected to a'tank in any desired manner, the valve isturned to partly or entirely open position, that is, towardthe fullline position, Fig. 8. The burner seat and burner thereupon lower andthe slots .43 in creasingly re ister with the slots 42, thus admitting an added supply of air to the burner tube substantially in proportion to the increase in the amount of gas-the actual amount is also determined by the position of the air mixer-collar 50 and the angular position of the-cam in respect. to the valve. Therefore with the increase in the amount of combustible mixture admitted to the burner the latter is removed proportionately farther from the water coil. The heat is consequently applied in an efficient manner at all times, the hottest point of the flame being always close to the surface of the coil.

The modification shown in Figs. 12 and 13 difi'ers from that heretofore described in that the coil is formed from a single tube 53, the lower surface 54 of which is reentrant to form a pocket into which the flame is directed as before. As stated above, the features whereby the burner is adjusted may in some cases be omitted. The details may also be widely varied in other particulars and the device may be used for purposes other than those to which the ordinary domestic water heaters are ordinarily put, for example, for the heating of water for house heating systems and for the generation of steam and for the distillation and separation of liquids. While the coil is preferably curved along the lines of a helix it may of course take other forms. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. A liquid heater including an upper header and a lower header, a paircf outer substantially parallel inclined'helical pipes constructed and arranged so that liquid flows in the same direction through both pipes and an intermediate pipe substantially arallel to the first named pipes, all of said pipes being connected to the upper header and to the lower header, said intermediate pipe being located at a higher lever than and close to the outer pipes, and a burner pipe arranged sub: stantially parallel to the water pipes and below the latter whereby a gas flame may be directed from below into the space between the pipes.

2. A liquid heater including an upper header, a lower header, a pair of substantially parallel inclined helical pipes extending close to each other from the lower header to the upper header, a burner pipe arranged intermediate of and below said first named pipes and extending substantially parallel thereto for a large portion of the length thereof whereby a gas flame may be directed from below into the space between the other pipes and whereby liquid may be caused to flow in the same direction through the two first named pipes.

3. A liquid heater comprising a substantially helical liquid container extending from a higher to a lower level, said container including an upper header, a lower header and three closely spaced helical pipes, connected to said headers, one being intermediate between and above the other two and a substantially helical burner pipe of substantially the same pitch positioned below the container and in the space substantially directly below the intermediate pipe of the coil, the coil being so constructed and arranged that the liquid flows from the lower to the higher level in each of the three pipes.

4. A liquid heater comprising a helical coil extending from a higher to a lower level, said coil forming a channel that extends longitudinally thereof alongits lower side, said coil being so constructed and arranged that the liquid flows only from the lower to the higher level therein and. a burner extending substantially parallel to said coil at a lower level than the latter for a large portion of the length thereof whereby a gas flame may be directed from below into said channel, and means for raising or lowering the burner in respect to the coil at will.

5. A liquid heater comprising a helical coil extending from a higher to a lower level, said coil forming a channel that extends .longitudinally thereof along its lower side, said coil being so constructed and arranged that the liquid flows only from the lower to the higher level therein, and a burner extending substantially parallel to said coil at a lower lei'ei than the latter for a large portion of the length thereof whereby a gas flame may be directed from below into said channel, means for lowering the burner in respect-to the coilat will and for supplying an increased flow of gas to said burner as it approaches the lower position.

6. A liquid heater comprising a helical liquid containing pipe extending from a higher to a lower level, a helical burner pipe of substantially the same pitch as the first named pipe and arranged to direct a flame upwardly against said pipe for a considerable portion of the length thereof, a tubular burner seat to which the lower end of the burner pipe is fixed, said burner seat having a substantially vertical axis, a tubular valve casing fitting the burner seat, means for adjusting the burner seat vertically on the valve casing, and means for preventing the burner seat from swinging about the axis of the valve casing.

7 A liquid heater comprising a curved liquid containing pipe extending from a lower-to a higher level,'a burner plpe curved to substantially the same pitch as the pipe, means for adjusting the burner pipe vertically in respect to the first named pipe, said pipe having a downwardly extending end having a substantially vertical axis, and means, cooperating with said end, for preventing said burner pipe from swinging in reference to the liquid containing pipe.

8. A liquid heater comprising a substantially helical liquid containing pipe extendingfrom a higher to a lower evel, a burner pipe substantially parallel to said first named pipe, and means, supported wholly from a point adjacent the lower end of the burner pipe, for supplying gas to said burner pipe at a pluralitgx' of points in the length thereof, whereby e burner pipe is braced and a more uniform pressure of gas is maintained therein.

ERVIN CAI-IOW.. 

